Vitamin B12 does not protect against the damage induced by hydrogen peroxide in mouse kidney proximal tubular cells and brain endothelial cells

Vitamin B12 (B12) is an essential co-factor for two enzymes in mammalian metabolism and can also act as a mimetic of superoxide dismutase (SOD) converting superoxide (O2•‒) to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). High oral dose B12 decreases renal O2•‒ and post-ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice and protects against damage induced by hypoxia/reperfusion in mouse kidney proximal tubular cells (BU.MPT). O2•‒ is unstable and rapidly converted to H2O2. H2O2 mediates oxidative stress associated with O2•‒. Whether B12 protects against damage induced by H2O2 is unknown. Both BU.MPT cells and mouse brain endothelial cells (bEdn.3) were applied to test the effects of B12 on H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. Both types of cells were treated with different doses of H2O2 with or without different doses of B12. Cell viability was analyzed 24 h later. H2O2 caused cell death only at a very high dose, and high pharmacological dose of B12 did not prevent this detrimental effect in either cell type. In bEnd.3 cells, transcriptional levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) increased, while nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) decreased by H2O2. The levels of transcripts were not affected by the B12 treatment. We conclude that the cytotoxic effects of exogenous H2O2 in BU.MPT and bEdn.3 cells are not prevented by B12.